Initial Consultation
The first time you meet with Dr. Polnar is critical. Much of the planning for the rest of the treatment will be done during the first consultation. The dentist will assess the health of the teeth and jaw bone. You will also need diagnostic imaging during this visit. Physicians have relied on computerized axial tomography scans (CAT) for years. Today, many dentists rely on 3D imaging scans to provide a detailed view of the mouth and skull. 3D scans are quick and straightforward to perform. A Cone Beam Imaging System is at the heart of the 3D scanner. The cone beam is used to take hundreds of pictures of the face. These pictures are used to compile an exact 3D image of the face and jaw’s inner mechanisms.

Surgery
After the initial consultation, you are scheduled for surgery implantation, where the dentist will place the actual dental implants, and the new teeth are fitted and adjusted. While these won’t be your final implants, you will leave our offices after this visit with beautiful and functional teeth.

Follow-Up Appointment
After 3-6 months, when the implants are fused to the natural bone, the dentist will take new impressions of your mouth and prepare a final, stronger, permanent set of teeth adjusted to a perfect fit. This approach helps ensure that the teeth will last for decades and provide maximum support, beauty, and function to the patient.

Specialist Care
Dental implants fall into the category of restoration dentistry and have their own subcategory called implantology. Implant surgery can be done by a periodontist, a dentist, or a dentist with advanced implantology training. Because of the specialist training necessary to perform the procedure, it’s common for the dental professional to charge a higher fee than other services.

Oral Sedation
You will be numb during the procedure with local anesthesia and we will keep you comfortable before, during, and after the implant placement. You will be awake during this procedure. Some patients find additional comfort in sedation. This mechanism helps patients that may be nervous to feel calm during the procedure. There are many types of sedation that can be reviewed with you.

Bone Grafts
Patients who have lost a lot of bone may also require bone grafts. Bone grafts are performed in a separate procedure, several months before the implant is placed, and will require several months to heal and for the graft to fuse into the regular bone. This extra procedure will, of course, mean additional costs. This also means you won't be able to have the procedure done in one trip since the graft will take time to grow into the bone, and you need to allow tissues to heal. If you have a tooth that is being extracted and replaced with an implant, bone grafting may also be necessary during the implant placement to ensure there is enough bone for the implant to merge with the jaw.

Material
The type of material used for your implant restoration can make a big difference from a strength/feel, esthetics, and adjustability perspective. We use different materials depending on the service:

⦁ Single and Multi-Tooth Implants: full Zirconia, precision-crafted and polished teeth to match your other natural teeth and gums. Your tooth will look and feel like any other natural tooth in your mouth.
⦁ Implant Fixed Bridges and Overdentures: we offer multiple material choices for our full arch options. 
Overdentures are made up of multiple materials with pearly-white crowns and simulated gum tissue made of pink acrylic and are supported by a strong metal framework and attaches to the implants with buttons called "locators". Implant fixed bridges are also made up of multiple materials. The teeth placed on the day of your procedure are made of premium denture teeth and high-impact denture resins that are natural looking, customizable, and used as a template for your final teeth. For your final teeth, we recommend a Zirconia aesthetic fixed bridge. This is the most ideal material for fixed implant bridges as it is strong, beautiful, and highly durable. We can also restore final teeth with premium denture acrylic teeth that are natural-looking, beautiful, and supported by a titanium substructure for strength.

Teeth Location
Which teeth are being replaced also influences the cost of treatment. Front teeth are much more challenging for the surgeon to work on and require more skill to make the implant look like a natural tooth. As a rule, visible teeth tend to be more expensive, and the surgery tends to be longer. Top teeth close to the sinuses may also require sinus lifts to make space for the implants, which also typically makes top teeth implants more expensive compared to bottom teeth.

While more expensive than dentures, dental implants are the more cost-effective option for dental restoration, and provide a more natural, secure, longer-lasting solution. Other options, such as a tooth-supported bridge, have a limited lifespan and must be replaced. The American Dental Association reports that the average bridge must be replaced every 10.1 years. However, clinical studies have shown that implant-supported crowns (like we're discussing here) are effective at 20+ years in 95% of cases. This study shows a 98.8% 10-year survival rate of dental implants, which means the implants will almost certainly outlast bridges. Other studies have shown the effectiveness of dental implants in the shorter term. This Swedish study showed a 98.2% survival rate of the implant over 32 months with the immediately loaded implants. Implants may be more expensive up-front, but over time their superior value and lifespan mean you'll be saving money in the long run.